Parent Teacher Conference Emails

Parent Teacher Conference Agenda

May 5th, 2016
Jay Raven
Introduction
Welcome to our classroom, Ms. Raven! I just want to begin by thanking you for meeting with me
this morning. I know we all have very busy schedules but I am so excited to have the
opportunity to talk and collaborate with you.

Positives with Jay!

Jay is a bright student, who loves science. His passion for science and marine life is evident in
his independent work (show examples) and is such a wonderful interest as well as something we
have in common! I too, loved science growing up and hope to engage and encourage Jay by
integrating science into other subjects. Jay loves technology as well as science. He also knows
how to work the iPad very well; maybe he could be an apple technician one day!

Observations
While Jay is engaged during science, he has a hard time focusing during other academic
instruction. When Jay completed his math screening at the beginning of the year he showed his
knowledge in the subject but seemed to become too distracted and frustrated to finish every
problem (provide screening test and point out distractions). He often has outbursts of anger
and frustration during math instruction and practice time, causing him to give up when learning
new concepts. When placed with other students as a strategy to help him stay on task, he does
not seem to be able to work well with other students and at times can be aggressive (provide
anecdotal notes). My goal is to help Jay be the best Jay he can be. With care and support from
you, his peers, and me, I believe Jay can stay engaged, focused, and calm throughout the entire
school day.

Questions
Why do you think this behavior could be happening?
Does he show anger or aggression at home?
How do you think we can work together to solve this?

Resources and My Plan!

Integrate marine animals into math problems

Calm down chart
Anger fortune teller choices
Reward punch card

Anecdotal Behavior Notes

Tuesday, April 26th

Refused to complete math

worksheet, yelled no, and sat with
head down
Pushed someone out of the way in
line to go to lunch

9:27
11:08
11:40

Kicked a student in order to get

the basketball he wanted to play
with at recess

12:15

PE teacher reported that Jay

yelled at and hit a student during
PE
Engaged and contributed answers
during a science lesson

1:30 J

Rewards!
When 4 squares are filled in
take a break and draw a picture of
your favorite animal!

When 8 squares are filled in

take a break and read a book or
article about any topic in science!

When 12 squares are filled in

take a break and play a few games on
the iPad!

When 16 squares are filled the

class will get extra recess time. This
shows you have treated your peers
kindly and vice versa!

Be A

STAR fish!!

When I color in squares for good choices, you get rewards!!!

! !

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ANGER CATCHER DIRECTIONS

1. Cut out the anger catcher and
turn it face down.
2. Fold each corner towards the
center so that the numbers and
colors are facing you.
3. Turn it over and again fold each
corner into the center so that
the color names are visible.
4. Fold it in half so that the color
names are touching and the
numbers are on the outside.
Now open it and fold it in half
the other way.
5. Insert your thumb and first
finger of each hand (pinching
motion) under the number flaps.
6. Close the anger catcher so only
the numbers show.
TO USE: Pick a number and
open and close the anger
catcher that number of times.
Next, pick a color and spell out
the color name, opening and
closing the anger catcher for
each letter. Then pick a color
that is visible and open that
flap. Read what it says and
practice that anger
management technique! This
game can be played with one
or two players and is a great
way to teach self-soothing
techniques.

Reflection
Before the conference, I studied the packet reflecting the behavioral and
academic issues that Jay had been having. Jay was struggling and had progressively
decreased in his success in school since first grade. I decided to focus on his behavioral
issues because I believe if those can be fixed then he will be able to focus more on his
academics and long-term success. As I did not know what was going on at home, I still
wanted to provide resources so the mother could be involved and help guide Jay and
work with me to support him. Jay had been showing aggressive behavior towards other
students and the teacher, so I decided to provide his mother with anecdotal notes of
behavior problems throughout a particular day, as well as any positives that happened.
This was so that the parent was informed of data relating to Jays behavior. After
completing the conference, I wish I had given the parent more than one day of
anecdotal notes to show that Jays behavior is continuous. This is something I would
have done differently if I were to hold another parent teacher conference. A teacher
should be collecting data everyday. Not only do teachers need to monitor behavior and
student learning, but also parents! My other preparation for before the conference
included a calm down reflection, ways to get anger out, and a reward system. I believe
positive reinforcement is a wonderful way to help children stay motivated and
encouraged. If Jay has treats that he is working towards, this will help shape his

behavior. Also, if Jay is able to express how he is feeling and what made him feel that
way then react the way he did, everyone will be able to interpret what is happening
better. If Jay understands how he feels and has an opportunity to calm down this will
help him avoid bursting out in anger.
To begin the parent conference, I wanted to ensure Jays mom knew how much I
appreciated her taking time out of her day to come and talk with me. The parentteacher relationship is so important and should always be something that is highly
valued. Parents can offer insight that teachers might not see. It is always key for the
teacher to remember that the student is still the parents child; regardless of how much
more time the teacher may spend with the child. Throughout this conference, I wanted
to ensure that Ms. Raven knew I was on her side and that I respected her as well as was
willing to provide her with any resources she may need. Putting aside any biases or
judgments about her and her family, it is the most important to make sure that she can
be involved in Jays academic and social success. During the conference, Ms. Raven
revealed that her older son who is 14 was keeping Jay. The brother often played violent
video games with Jay. This could be a reason why Jay acts out in aggression. I was not
sure how to respond to this. She asked me for resources on how to help the older
brother be a more supportive peer mentor and leader. This would be something I could
research for her and get back to her with. After when discussing with Mrs. Clay, I
realized the importance of keeping my confidence because if this would have been a

real conference my first year teaching the parent could have had the opportunity to
question and corner me. We also talked about the possibility of having someone in the
room supporting you as a first year teacher when holding a conference. Some options
of people would be the guidance counselor, the principal, or another teacher in the
building who has observed the same issues as the teacher. Overall, I really enjoyed this
experience. It provided a safe environment to practice my communication skills with
students. The feedback I received was so positive and it really helped me to remember
my strengths as well as highlighted some areas I can work on. I am so glad I was
provided with this enriching opportunity.

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